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Title 26 — Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73

§5056 Refund and credit of tax, or relief from lia­bility

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle E— - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes › Chapter CHAPTER 51— - DISTILLED SPIRITS, WINES, AND BEER › Subchapter Subchapter A— - Gallonage and Occupational Taxes › Part PART I— - GALLONAGE TAXES › Subpart Subpart D— - Beer › § 5056

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Brewers can get a refund or credit, or be excused from paying the tax, for beer removed for sale or drinking in certain cases. Refunds are paid without interest. The tax can be undone if the beer is returned to the brewer’s brewery, destroyed under the tax official’s rules, lost or made unfit by fire, accident, or act of God before it is sold, or sent to a bonded distilled‑spirits plant for use in making spirits under section 5222(b)(2). If beer is returned on the same day it was removed, that returned amount can reduce that day’s removals. The tax official can set rules and may ask the brewer to file a claim and give proof. If theft is involved, the brewer must show the theft happened before removal and was not caused by collusion, fraud, or negligence by the brewer or related parties. Claims must be filed within 6 months of the return, loss, destruction, unmerchantable condition, or receipt at the spirits plant. No refund is allowed if the brewer was paid back by insurance or other indemnity.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §5056

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any tax paid by any brewer on beer removed for consumption or sale may be refunded or credited to the brewer, without interest, or if the tax has not been paid, the brewer may be relieved of liability therefor, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, if such beer is returned to any brewery of the brewer or is destroyed under the supervision required by such regulations. In determining the amount of tax due on beer removed on any day, the quantity of beer returned to the same brewery from which removed shall be allowed, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, as an offset against or deduction from the total quantity of beer removed from that brewery on the day of such return.
(b)Subject to regulations prescribed by the Secretary, the tax paid by any brewer on beer removed for consumption or sale may be refunded or credited to the brewer, without interest, or if the tax has not been paid, the brewer may be relieved of liability therefor, if such beer is lost, whether by theft or otherwise, or is destroyed or otherwise rendered unmerchantable by fire, casualty, or act of God before the transfer of title thereto to any other person. In any case in which beer is lost or destroyed, whether by theft or otherwise, the Secretary may require the brewer to file a claim for relief from the tax and submit proof as to the cause of such loss. In every case where it appears that the loss was by theft, the first sentence shall not apply unless the brewer establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary that such theft occurred before removal from the brewery and occurred without connivance, collusion, fraud, or negligence on the part of the brewer, consignor, consignee, bailee, or carrier, or the employees or agents of any of them.
(c)Any tax paid by any brewer on beer removed for consumption or sale may be refunded or credited to the brewer, without interest, or if the tax has not been paid, the brewer may be relieved of liability therefor, under regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, if such beer is received on the bonded premises of a distilled spirits plant pursuant to the provisions of section 5222(b)(2), for use in the production of distilled spirits.
(d)No claim under this section shall be allowed (1) unless filed within 6 months after the date of the return, loss, destruction, rendering unmerchantable, or receipt on the bonded premises of a distilled spirits plant or (2) if the claimant was indemnified by insurance or otherwise in respect of the tax.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 5056, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 613, related to “drawback of tax” prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859. See section 5055 of this title. A prior section 5057, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 613, related to refund and credit of tax or relief from liability, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859.

Amendments

1998—Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 105–206 substituted “removed for consumption or sale” for “produced in the United States”. 1997—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–34, § 1414(c)(1), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–34 redesignated subsec. (c) as (d) and substituted “rendering unmerchantable, or receipt on the bonded premises of a distilled spirits plant” for “or rendering unmerchantable”. 1976—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary” wherever appearing. 1971—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 91–673 inserted provision permitting credit or refund of tax if the beer is returned to any brewery of the brewer who paid the tax, and provided for offset or deduction against amount of beer removed from the brewery on the day of return if the beer is returned to the same brewery from which it was withdrawn. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–673 inserted provisions for credit or refund or relief from liability of tax when the beer is lost by theft or otherwise or rendered unmerchantable by fire, casualty or act of God, before the transfer of title to any other party, and required the brewer to file claim for relief from the tax and submit proof of the cause of the loss, and in the case of theft, to further prove that such theft occurred before removal from the brewery and without connivance, collusion, fraud, or negligence on the part of the brewer, consignor, consignee, bailee, or carrier, or the employees or agents of any of them. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 91–673 substantially reenacted subsec. (c) to reflect changes in subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–206 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provisions of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Pub. L. 105–34, to which such amendment relates, see section 6024 of Pub. L. 105–206, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1997 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–34 effective on the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter that begins at least 180 days after Aug. 5, 1997, see section 1414(d) of Pub. L. 105–34, set out as a note under section 5053 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1971 Amendment Pub. L. 91–673, § 5, Jan. 12, 1971, 84 Stat. 2058, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by the first four sections of this Act [enacting section 5417 of this title and amending this section and section 5052, 5053, 5401, 5402, 5411, 5412, and 5416 of this title] shall take effect on the first day of the first calendar month which begins more than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 12, 1971].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 5056

Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73